<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Harry Potter and the Detective of 221B Baker Street by Giant_Flying_Sky_Whale</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25966327">Harry Potter and the Detective of 221B Baker Street</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Giant_Flying_Sky_Whale/pseuds/Giant_Flying_Sky_Whale'>Giant_Flying_Sky_Whale</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Sherlock (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, case fic?</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 09:34:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,481</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25966327</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Giant_Flying_Sky_Whale/pseuds/Giant_Flying_Sky_Whale</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>During the seventh book, the Golden Trio enlist the help of consulting detective, Sherlock Holmes.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>49</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Harry Potter and the Detective of 221B Baker Street</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This fic is based on the photoset where the Golden Trio are sitting on a couch (I think in the movie, they're talking to the Minister of Magic), but they're talking to Sherlock and they're asking him for help about the Horcruxes.</p><p>The dates when it comes to years don’t match up but I don’t care.  HP Timeline:  Same as the Deathly Hallows until Harry, Ron, and Hermione visit Tom Riddle’s orphanage sometime between September and December.  Sherlock Timeline:  “The Reichenbach Falls”, after the Reichenbach case, before Moriarty breaks into the Bank of England, the Tower of London, and Pentonville Prison.  Also, I’m American, so I’ll probably get some terminology wrong.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Without any other leads, they traveled into London and, hidden beneath the Invisibility Cloak, searched for the orphanage in which Voldemort had been raised.  Hermione stole into a library and discovered from their records that the place had been demolished many years before.  They visited the site and found a tower block of offices.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We could try digging in the foundations?” Hermione suggested halfheartedly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He wouldn’t have hidden a Horcrux here,” Harry said.  He had known it all along:  The orphanage had been the place Voldemort had been determined to escape; he would never have hidden a part of his soul there.  Dumbledore had shown Harry that Voldemort sought grandeur or mystique in his hiding places; this dismal gray corner of London was as far removed as you could imagine from Hogwarts or the Ministry or a building like Gringotts, the Wizarding bank, with its golden doors and marble floors.  (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling Pg. 290)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was at that moment, before the trio left, that the wind blew a newspaper directly into Hermione’s face.  She sighed in frustration and ripped it away from her, scowling at the headline before she frowned thoughtfully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know that look, what is it Hermione?” Ron asked cautiously, knowing all too well all the dangers that look had given them in the past.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead of answering Ron, Hermione turned to Harry.  “Have you heard of Sherlock Holmes?” she asked, watching him attentively.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry frowned, the name ringing a bell but not doing much else.  “Vaguely . . .”</span>
</p><p><span>Hermione rolled her eyes and thrust the paper into his face.  Harry grabbed the paper and positioned it so that both he and Ron could read it.  It wasn’t the </span><em><span>Daily</span></em> <em><span>Prophet</span></em><span>, unsurprisingly.  The headline at the top read </span><em><span>Hero of the Reichenbach</span></em><span>.  Harry frowned as he read the article.</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A Turner masterpiece worth </span>
    <span>£</span>
    <span>1.7million that was stolen from an auction house ten days ago has been recovered by an amateur detective from North London.  Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street has been investigating the art crime simply as a hobby, and yet he was able to follow the trail that lead him to the famous work – a trail that Scotland Yard missed completely.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry and Ron continued reading the article, their eyes growing narrower and narrower at the unashamed hero worship evident in the words.  At the end of the article, both of the boys were glaring at Hermione, who stared back, confused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why did you have us read this, Hermione?” Harry asked angrily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because he’s a detective, obviously,” Hermione explained, her eyes widening slightly in understanding.  Harry had hated the press since the Triwizard Tournament, hero worship for even longer.  “Maybe he can help us figure out where we need to look.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hermione, he’s a Muggle – ”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“ – He’s still a detective,” Hermione interrupted Harry again, both not noticing that they had left Ron behind in the conversation.  “He’s probably seen and heard weirder things.  Plus, we can always Obliviate him if we have to but he </span>
  <em>
    <span>should </span>
  </em>
  <span>understand client/detective confidentiality.”  When Harry and Ron still looked unconvinced, Hermione groaned.  “Come </span>
  <em>
    <span>on</span>
  </em>
  <span>!  What is </span>
  <em>
    <span>with </span>
  </em>
  <span>you two?!  We have </span>
  <em>
    <span>nothing </span>
  </em>
  <span>to go on, his help would be </span>
  <em>
    <span>highly </span>
  </em>
  <span>appreciated – he’ll be an extra set of eyes and a new perspective!  He </span>
  <em>
    <span>solves mysteries for a living</span>
  </em>
  <span>!  Get over your pride and let’s go find him!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione spun on her heel and walked down the street briskly.  The boys exchanged slightly exasperated looks before running off after her.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sherlock was playing his violin when he heard the doorbell ring.  He stopped playing and groaned aloud.  Not </span>
  <em>
    <span>another </span>
  </em>
  <span>client!  Normally the occurrence would have been amazing, but not with all the attention he was gaining from the press.  Why couldn’t people just </span>
  <em>
    <span>let him be</span>
  </em>
  <span>!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sherlock carefully placed his violin against the wall before answering the door.  Mrs. Hudson normally just let everyone in, it would be easier if he turned them away himself downstairs before they could get their hopes up and become annoying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Sherlock opened the door, any retort he might have made immediately stuck in his throat.  Three teenagers, on the run given their underfed and unkempt appearances, friends.  The black-haired boy was used to being underfed, wore baggy clothing – abuse.  Balanced defensive/offensive stance as though ready to bolt, attack, or defend at any moment, lightning bolt scar on forehead, right arm held slightly more awkwardly than the left a cut at the elbow, two-year old slight strangulation marks around his neck, and were those words scarred into the back of his hand?  Lightning bolt scar, Harry Potter? – orphan, most likely non-magical relatives, jealous, abusive.  The brunette girl looked at least </span>
  <em>
    <span>slightly </span>
  </em>
  <span>intelligent compared to the other two – she could be helpful.  Slightly pulled in lower lip – used to have large upper centrals.  Despite being on the run, her mouth is clean which normally isn’t a priority – parent(s), at least one, are/is dentist(s).  Didn’t seem to mind going without food as much as the ginger, so good family life but more mature.  The ginger boy looked to be the least prepared for being on the run, good family life, then.  By his discontented expression, used to being fed as much as he wanted regularly without being overly fed, strong family life though his family was on the poorer side when it came to money judging by his clothes.  Their hopeful expressions made Sherlock close his eyes and sigh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When none of them said anything, he opened his eyes and raised an eyebrow.  “Yes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you Sherlock Holmes?” the brunette asked timidly.  The boys exchanged a worried look.  Normally outspoken then.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The eyebrow rose higher.  “Who else would I be?” he asked, wishing that John were here to deal with the children.  He didn’t have the tolerance or the patience for children – they never answered directly, liked to skirt around issues.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um . . . we need your help,” the black-haired boy spoke up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Obviously,” Sherlock answered, rolling his eyes.  “Why </span>
  <em>
    <span>else</span>
  </em>
  <span> would you be here, especially in the middle of a school day?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three teenagers exchanged looks.  The ginger stepped forward slightly.  “I’m Ron Weasley and these are my friends, Harry Potter,” Sherlock inwardly smirked, “and Hermione Granger.  May we come inside?” he finished tentatively, glancing around the street.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I suppose,” Sherlock answered with a long-suffering sigh.  He stepped to the side and let the three teenagers pass into 221B.  He closed the door behind them and led them up the stairs.  “Sit,” he said, pointing at the sofa.  The trio sat.  Sherlock stood in front of the coffee table and crossed his arms.  “What’s the case?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three exchanged nervous looks before Granger began nervously.  “Mr. Holmes – ”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“ – Sherlock,” he corrected shortly, Mr. Holmes reminding him too much of his brother.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sherlock,” Granger began again, a little more timidly, “we have a problem.  There’s no easy way to say this, but magic exists.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Granger bit her lip and the trio sat there, staring at him anxiously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sherlock raised his eyebrow again.  “Yes, I know.  What’s the case?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three breathed sighs of relief, exchanging relieved looks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Granger began again, more confidently.  “We don’t know how long you’ve been out of the Wizarding world, or even if you have been out of it at all, but You-Know-Who – ”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“ – Who?” Sherlock interrupted, not knowing who this was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The trio just stared at him uncomprehendingly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Potter began the explanation.  “He’s an evil wizard – he started an eleven year war – ”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“ – Ah!” Sherlock said, nodding once.  “You mean Riddle,” he stated simply.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why do you call him that?” Granger asked, intervening before either of the boys could say something stupid.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sherlock raised an eyebrow.  “Why not?  He changed his name for a reason – he obviously doesn’t like the one he was born with.  Plus, ‘Voldemort’ isn’t actually a name.  In all actuality, it’s a single word combined from the French words ‘Vol de mort’ which translate to ‘Flight from death’.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three gaped at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you call You-Know-Who Riddle because it would bother him?” Weasley asked incredulously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Sherlock answered, staring at him.  Children are stupid, this is why he needs John.  “And in this flat, you will do the same.  This whole You-Know-Who business is just preposterous,” Sherlock rolled his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three teenagers stared at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“. . . Anyway,” Granger began again, “he created these objects called Horcruxes.  To create one, you need to murder somebody and then put a piece of your now fractured soul into an object.  As long as the Horcruxes are around, Riddle can’t die, not completely.  And that’s why we need your help; we need to find out what they are, where they are, and how to destroy them.  So will you help us?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How many?” Sherlock asked, narrowing his eyes slightly.  He kept his eyes carefully on Granger, though he wanted to examine Potter.  If Riddle’s soul was fractured enough . . .</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Six.”  Definitely fractured enough.  “But we’ve already destroyed two and found one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I assume it’s dangerous?” Sherlock asked, wanting to clarify their loyalty to their friend who he was about to reveal as a Horcrux.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“. . . a little,” all three answered simultaneously.  That answered that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well it’s obvious you need my help, because you’ve actually found </span>
  <em>
    <span>two</span>
  </em>
  <span> out of </span>
  <em>
    <span>seven</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No we haven’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sherlock focused on Potter. “Yes, you have.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“. . . What do you mean . . . ?” Potter asked hesitantly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Riddle killed your parents 31 October 1981, then he disappeared.  No one knows what happens to a person if they make more than one Horcrux.  My hypothesis is that Riddle’s soul was so fractured by already making most if not all of his other Horcruxes that the deaths of the Potters coupled with his own destruction by his rebounding curse, a part of his soul latched onto the only living thing in the house – Henry – ”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“ – Harry,” all three corrected.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sherlock rolled his eyes, “Harry, hence the scar.  In other words, Potter himself is a Horcrux.  An unintentional one, but still – a Horcrux.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Potter was frozen in shock and Weasley and Granger were staring at him with barely concealed horror.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Granger was the first to reanimate.  She whipped around and stared at Sherlock pleadingly.  “There </span>
  <em>
    <span>must </span>
  </em>
  <span>be some way that you can help him – to make him no longer a Horcrux!  </span>
  <em>
    <span>Please</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”  Her outburst drew the two boys back from their contemplation of the situation and, suddenly, all three were staring at him again, more desperately than before.  Potter panicked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me?  No,” Sherlock answered, continuing quickly before any of them could do anything rash (all three were in Gryffindor, after all).  “Other magical beings, however, are very helpful in matters such as this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How?” Potter asked quietly, voice barely above a whisper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wizards always write off other magical beings, which can be quite costly.  In this case, by using wizarding means, Potter would have to be killed by Riddle himself to destroy the Horcrux.  Unicorns, if you can catch one, will be able to destroy the Horcrux without any harm coming to Potter with just a single touch of their horn.  Centaurs might be able to help by themselves, but I would suggest not asking them – they’re bitter.  Phoenix tears on the scar, and they have to hit the scar specifically.  If you happen to stumble across a house elf that will do you a favor, they can also do something about the Horcrux.  They, of course, can’t make it disappear completely, but they </span>
  <em>
    <span>can </span>
  </em>
  <span>move it into another object where it can be destroyed without any harm to Potter’s person.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three friends sighed in relief, relaxing immediately.  Sherlock smirked slightly, amused at how all three had been worried.  The knowledge that their friend wasn’t all himself at the moment should have been enough to make them all go racing off to try and fix it.  All three had proven his theory about their reactions wrong – they had stayed to find out if their friend could be saved.  Loyal then.  For Gryffindors.  After learning that Potter’s condition was not permanent until his death apparently freed them to focus on other things.  They would want a list later for everything that could help Potter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you know so far of the other Horcruxes?” Sherlock asked, back on task.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three exchanged looks again before voting Granger as the spokesperson.  “The two that were destroyed were a diary and a ring – ”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“ – More information, background.  What’s so special about the diary and the ring?  Who had them?  Were they left abandoned?  I need data!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Granger blinked, surprised.  The two boys next to her just froze again, in surprise this time over shock.  “Riddle wrote in the diary at school – it was his first Horcrux.  He was at school when he made it.  It was given to Lucius Malfoy to look after but he subtly gave it to Ginny Weasley, Ron’s,” she gestured to Weasley, “sister.  The ring belonged to his mother’s family – it had their coat of arms – ”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“ – What does the coat of arms look like?” Sherlock interrupted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t get a good enough look at it, I don’t know – ” Potter began answering.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“ – Then continue,” Sherlock interrupted again, cutting the needless information short.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three friends exchanged looks before Granger continued explaining.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Riddle turned the ring into a Horcrux and left it in the shack once the original owners of said ring and shack died,” Granger finished.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So he left the objects in places with some connection to him,” Sherlock concluded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” the three answered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Idiot,” Sherlock rolled his eyes.  Sentiment.  It was so stupid; people fell for it all the time.  It made them predictable.  This was turning out to be very boring, but he supposed that he should ‘do his part’ in helping humanity.  “What are your conjectures for the objects and the locations?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three once again exchanged looks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The objects all have something to do with the founders of Hogwarts except for his snake, Nagini, and his diary.  We’ve already found the one connected to Slytherin,” Granger said, pulling a locket out from beneath her shirt and handing it to Sherlock.  “As for places . . .”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sherlock studied the locket briefly, confirming it was Slytherin’s.  Granger held out her hand for him to give it back, but he just stared at her.  “Do you </span>
  <em>
    <span>honestly </span>
  </em>
  <span>believe that it’s a good idea to carry this thing around your </span>
  <em>
    <span>neck</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” he asked incredulously.  “That’s dark magic, some of the darkest ever, and you’re giving it </span>
  <em>
    <span>physical contact </span>
  </em>
  <span>with your </span>
  <em>
    <span>body</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well where </span>
  <em>
    <span>else</span>
  </em>
  <span> are we supposed to put it?” Granger huffed indignantly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sherlock raised an eyebrow.  “Maybe in your magical bag of unlimited storage, perhaps?” he asked sarcastically.  Granger blushed and held out her hand for the locket again.  Sherlock handed it over and the girl put it in her bag.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Back on track – I need all of the locations you can come up with, no matter your arguments against each,” Sherlock stated before they could start.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Potter elected himself spokesperson here.  “His orphanage, Hogwarts, Borgin and Burkes, and Albania.  We know he didn’t hide one at his orphanage because we checked it right before we came here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sherlock nodded, soaking it all in.  “Does he have any close followers – no opinions?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why would you need – ” Weasley started, confused at the sudden leap from locations to people.  Sherlock shot him a look and he shut up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“His Death Eaters are Amycus Carrow, Alecto Carrow, Antonin Dolohov, Fenrir Greyback, Bellatrix Lestrange, Lucius Malfoy, Peter Pettigrew, Yaxley, Draco Malfoy, and Severus Snape,” Potter spit the names out as if they were foul on his tongue.  “Well, those are the closer ones anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sherlock nodded, closing his eyes to think.  Seven Horcruxes:  a diary, a ring, a boy, a snake, a locket, and two objects connected to the founders.  Riddle was a Slytherin, he wouldn’t use a Gryffindor object – no one would likely give him any information on any due to the rivalry.  Ravenclaw – she had a lost diadem that was on her head in the statue in the Ravenclaw Common Room.  Diadem – disappeared, Mycroft?  He mentioned it before, where?  Albania.  Self-explanatory.  Locations?  Hogwarts, a follower.  Hufflepuff – she had a cup that was famous for being in a portrait of her.  Where was the cup?  Passed down to Hepzibah Smith before it was stolen, likely by Riddle.  Locations?  Hogwarts, another follower – both likely.  Which follower?  He can’t have all his eggs in one basket, no one is stupid enough to do that, not even Anderson.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who’s Amycus Carrow ?” Sherlock asked.  “I need the most personal details you have, no matter how insignificant.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Professor at Hogwarts – ” one of the three began.  No.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“ – Alecto Carrow?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Also a professor – ”  No.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“ – Antonin Dolohov?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We fought him at the Department of Mysteries, he tracked us down earlier this year – ”  No.  Too involved.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“ – Fenrir Greyback?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Werewolf – ”  Definitely not.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“ – Bellatrix Lestrange?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Also fought her at the Department of Mysteries, she calls him Master but everyone else calls him ‘the Dark Lord’ – ”  More devoted than the others.  Likely, not confirmed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> “ – Peter Pettigrew?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“ – The coward – ”  No.  Too likely to give away the location.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“ – Yaxley?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In the Ministry of Magic – ”  No.  Already too powerful.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“ – Draco Malfoy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lucius’s son, he’s our age – ”  No.  Father previously failed, hasn’t proven worth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“ – Severus Snape?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He killed Dumbledore </span>
  <em>
    <span>even after </span>
  </em>
  <span>he gave him a job and didn’t turn him in – ”  Spy.  Not trusted enough with a secret that important – can’t put all the secrets in one basket.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“ – When did he go to Albania?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“. . . Before he applied for a job at Hogwarts.  What does – ”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“ – Hufflepuff’s Cup is in Bellatrix Lestrange’s vault in Gringotts, Ravenclaw’s Diadem is at Hogwarts,” Sherlock announced, opening his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His three clients were staring at him in shock.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How did you – ” they all started at the same time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“ – You needed to know the locations.  Hogwarts.  Every witch and wizard I’ve ever met all say the same thing – Hogwarts is the best.  An orphan who was never before given such an opportunity to be special?  Definitely a connection there, he even wanted to get a job at Hogwarts.  He already had the object – the diadem of Ravenclaw, her most renowned and revered object – he came back from Albania and went straight to Hogwarts for a job, yes?  If he just got back from Albania then he needed a place to hide his new Horcrux.  What better place to hide one of the darkest objects in existence than right in a building full of innocent children new in life and learning about magic?  Nobody would suspect a thing, teachers being trusted and the children not seen as ‘experienced’ enough to make such dark objects.  Having the job would have been better, but settling only for a hiding place would do.  The cup, it’s famous for Hufflepuff displaying it in a portrait – went missing, stolen.  By whom?  Riddle.  Everybody else would have left such objects alone – sentiment – or advertised them for money but he wanted to change the founders’ objects into Horcruxes, he hid them.  Bellatrix Lestrange because she is the most loyal – she wouldn’t give him away like Malfoy had done, no, she’d put it in the safest place she knew.  Where is that?  Her vault in Gringotts, of course, it’s a bank run by Goblins, who are extremely possessive of objects, with traps </span>
  <em>
    <span>everywhere</span>
  </em>
  <span>, no one has ever successfully robbed the place.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three children just continued staring at Sherlock, shocked into silence.  Sherlock briefly wondered if he’d broken them.  Just in case he had, he decided to write down the locations and objects on a piece of paper.  He wouldn’t explain it again, most people understood once he put the puzzle pieces together, but they might forget the actual knowledge due to the explanations.  A curse of his brilliance.  Sherlock left, grabbed a paper and a pen, came back, sat down, and wrote out the information that the three magicals had asked for.  When he was finished, he looked up and saw that they still hadn’t recovered, so he added the list of the magical creatures and </span>
  <em>
    <span>what </span>
  </em>
  <span>said magical creatures should do to help Potter.   By the time he was done with the second list, they looked as if they were finally beginning to reanimate themselves.  Well, it was about time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sherlock shifted from his chair to the coffee table just as the three simultaneously blinked, coming back to their senses.  Sherlock raised an eyebrow, waiting for one of them to speak.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can see why you’re a detective . . .” Weasley said in a dazed sort of voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How did you </span>
  <em>
    <span>do </span>
  </em>
  <span>that – ” Granger began.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“ – Deduction,” he answered simply.  “What can be used to destroy Horcruxes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Basilisk venom and Fiendfyre,” Granger answered, still a little dazed at the information he had just dumped on them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sherlock raised an eyebrow.  “I could be wrong,” though that is </span>
  <em>
    <span>highly</span>
  </em>
  <span> unlikely, “but isn’t the Monster of Slytherin a basilisk?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three blinked in shock before nodding slowly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And the Chamber of Secrets is in Hogwarts?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three once again nodded slowly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then I don’t see what your problem is,” Sherlock said, shrugging.  When they stared at him blankly, he sighed and explained.  “Use the basilisk fangs.”  When they still stared blankly, he outlined a rough plan:  “I’d wait until Christmas break when few people are at Hogwarts.  Break into Gringotts for the cup, then hurry to Hogwarts for the diadem.  After you have all three, go to the Chamber of Secrets and destroy them.”</span>
</p><p><span>“What about Harry?” Weasley asked, and Sherlock blinked, confused.  All three of his clients were looking at him as if he had all the answers to the universe.  It was like they weren’t used to adults being capable . . . Oh . . . they </span><em><span>aren’t </span></em><span>used to adults being capable because magicals depend on their magic, not logic.  Of course, most people didn’t use their brains or logic in the first place, but at least they </span><em><span>pretended</span></em><span> and actually put </span><em><span>some</span></em><span> thought into</span> <span>things.  Even Anderson, though he was just an idiot, at least he was trying.  And now that they finally </span><em><span>had </span></em><span>found an adult that was capable, they were all looking for guidance.  Well, either that or he was being straight with them, not hiding any facts and sharing everything he knew.</span></p><p>
  <span>After that realization, the side of Sherlock’s mouth quirked up slightly in a dismal attempt at an amused smile even as a strange kind of warmth filled him.  These teenagers were looking to </span>
  <em>
    <span>him </span>
  </em>
  <span>for guidance.  Wait until he told John!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sherlock raised an eyebrow.  “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>do </span>
  </em>
  <span>know the length of time between now and Christmas break, correct?  As long as you don’t miss your window, I don’t see what your problem is.  There are so many different options – surely you at least know where you can find a house elf and an object to transfer the Horcrux to, can’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three’s eyes widened in realization.  Sherlock smirked when they blushed.  Who knew that people could be so amusing when they were normally so annoying?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right . . .” Weasley said, his face as red as his hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How did you know there were seven Horcruxes, not six?” Potter asked curiously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sherlock rolled his eyes.  “You said you knew of six Horcruxes, but you didn’t know about the one residing within Potter, so seven.  Simple math.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The door opened downstairs.  John was home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sherlock spoke before any of them could freak out as teenagers tended to do, these three in particular.  “That’s just my flatmate, John Watson.  He doesn’t know about magic – don’t talk about it.  And here, you need this.”  Sherlock said, passing Granger the piece of paper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sherlock, I got the milk – ” John trailed off when he walked into the room and found the three teenagers sitting on their sofa.  He slowly turned from the teenagers to his flatmate.  “Sherlock, what are they doing in our flat?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sherlock raised an eyebrow.  “A case, John.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>John perked up slightly.  “And . . . ?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sherlock shrugged, “Just solved it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>John deflated, then turned back to look at the teenagers.  He narrowed his eyes making them shift uncomfortably.  “When was the last time you three ate?” he asked suspiciously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They blinked and looked at each other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A couple days ago?” Granger offered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>John groaned.  “Sherlock!  You could </span>
  <em>
    <span>at least </span>
  </em>
  <span>offer them food!” he said, turning to head back down the stairs.  “And offer them the use of our shower – they look like they need it!” he finished, walking down the stairs and out of the flat to go get takeout.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sherlock raised an eyebrow at his flatmate and turned to the teenagers again.  They were staring at the door incredulously.  “Don’t worry about him,” Sherlock said, gaining their attention again, “he’s a doctor.  He worries about everything.  Though you do look like you need to be fed . . . Granger, shower, now,” Sherlock ordered, pointing to the shower.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Granger, for her part, looked bemused and only slightly offended at being ordered to take a shower but complied after passing the piece of paper to Potter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“After her, Weasley, then Potter,” Sherlock ordered, grabbing his violin and beginning to play again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The flat was silent except for the violin and the shower.  All three took very short showers, finishing before John got back to the flat with takeout.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sensing the three sets of eyes staring at him, Sherlock finally stopped playing the violin and looked over to where all three were once again sitting on the sofa.  He raised an eyebrow in silent inquiry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How do you know about magic?” Granger asked without preamble.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am, to use popular terms, a Squib,” Sherlock answered, plucking at the violin strings.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The door to the flat opened again before the trio could say anything else and John came in carrying bags of takeout from Angelo’s.  He set the bags on the coffee table and passed the containers out to the three teenagers.  They thanked him and started inhaling their food before John stopped them, immediately taking it away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?!” Weasley spluttered angrily.  “What’d you take it away for?!  We’re hungry!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>John sighed and shook his head despairingly.  “What do they </span>
  <em>
    <span>teach </span>
  </em>
  <span>kids in school these days?” he mumbled to himself.  Then he leveled all of them with a stern glare.  “You’re all malnourished.  I cannot, in good conscience, let you stuff yourselves and then throw it back up when you eat more than you can handle.  You might normally be able to eat large quantities of food, but your diet has been different these past few months so your bodies are used to not eating all they need or getting all the nutrition they need.  In other words, you have to eat </span>
  <em>
    <span>slowly</span>
  </em>
  <span> and </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>inhale.  Do you understand?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The trio just stared at John before simultaneously turning to Sherlock again.  Sherlock, who had observed and not interjected himself into the conversation up to this point, was once again surprised that people were looking to </span>
  <em>
    <span>him </span>
  </em>
  <span>for advice, not for solving a puzzle.  He glanced at John and noticed </span>
  <em>
    <span>his </span>
  </em>
  <span>raised eyebrows as well, apparently thinking along the same lines as Sherlock.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sherlock switched his gaze back to the three teenagers, who were still staring at him.  He shrugged.  “I told you he was a doctor, he’s always like that.  Best do as he says; it’s less effort than arguing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are your names, by the way?” John asked once he had given them their meals back and they had begun eating at an acceptable pace, though it was still too fast for his liking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m Hermione Granger,” Granger introduced before taking another bite.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Harry Potter,” Potter nodded, copying Granger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ron Weasley,” Weasley said, still chewing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>John raised an eyebrow.  “Pleasure to meet you.  I’m Dr. John Watson,” he introduced himself, sending a glance at Sherlock.  The three nodded politely but continued eating.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>John realized that making polite conversation was useless and so he gave up, supervising the three malnourished teenagers as they ate.  Once they finished, he began his interrogation on their health.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why haven’t you eaten well recently?” he demanded, hands on hips and standing in front of them like a commanding officer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The trio glanced at each other before Granger replied, becoming spokesperson again.  “We’re . . . running away . . .”  Sherlock rolled his eyes.  If that was supposed to make John back off, they obviously didn’t know enough about doctors, or even just adults in general.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“From what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If they answered like Sherlock assumed they would, this would end badly.  “Don’t answer that,” Sherlock interrupted.  When John opened his mouth to argue, Sherlock continued with, “They have their reasons, nothing you say will make them </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> run away, and they won’t even stay here all that long.  For now, though, they’re here, they’ve been fed, and you’ll make them stay the night before they run away from us because their presence will ‘put us in danger’ or some other such nonsense,” Sherlock said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>John scowled when Sherlock mentioned that they would run away and the three flinched when he turned his gaze on them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine, you don’t have to tell me.  But you </span>
  <em>
    <span>will </span>
  </em>
  <span>stay for the night, at least,” John glared at them, daring for them to argue.  They didn’t take the bait.  He nodded firmly.  “Alright.”</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>The trio stayed the night and then left with the nonperishable food that John had packed for them the next morning.  Sherlock, for once, didn’t play his violin or disturb the quiet of 221B during the night.  John was pleased to discover that even </span>
  <em>
    <span>he </span>
  </em>
  <span>knew the limits of a human body (even if he didn’t apply that knowledge in regard to his own) and had decided to be sympathetic to the teenagers and let them sleep peacefully.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry, Ron, and Hermione did exactly as Sherlock suggested.  They broke into Gringotts under the Invisibility Cloak on the night after everyone who would go home was sent home for Christmas, used the Imperius Curse on one of the few Goblins guarding the bank, broke into the Lestrange vault with no trouble, easily found Hufflepuff’s Cup, and left a different route than when they came because Hermione had decided that they had to free the dragon.  Hopefully the missing dragon would call attention to the vaults and Riddle would realize the cup was stolen, then check for the others, and then eventually confront Harry, Ron, and Hermione at Hogwarts.  Harry had found and convinced Luna to help him find the diadem, which had a convenient model in the Ravenclaw Common Room.  Harry remembered that he had seen the diadem last year in the Room of Requirement and they searched it quickly but not time-sensitively.  After finding it, they called Dobby and asked him to transfer the Horcrux in Harry’s scar to one of the many forgotten items in the room.  He did and they left for the Chamber of Secrets, getting in and taking the basilisk fangs easily.  First they destroyed the locket, then the cup, then the diadem, and finally the random sock they had found in the Room of Requirement.  Now the only Horcrux left was the snake and Riddle would most likely keep it close by once he discovered they knew about the Horcruxes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The break-in at Gringotts was common knowledge the next morning, though nobody knew who had broken in.  The news about the dragon drew attention down to the lower levels – the Lestrange vault.  Riddle sent Bellatrix to check her vault, she found the cup missing, and reported such.  Riddle immediately traveled around the country, checking on his other Horcruxes before at last checking Hogwarts.  Despite being well-known and hated by many, none of the remaining students who had decided to stay over Christmas or teachers moved to attack him when he entered Hogwarts and went straight to the Room of Requirement.  He never made it.  He hadn’t brought back-up except for Nagini – hadn’t thought he’d needed it with his reputation and strength – but he was proved wrong when both of them were suddenly lying dead with basilisk fangs in their bodies.  Many of the students of Hogwarts cheered, even though most of them were confused on what just happened.  The next couple of months were spent with Harry, Ron, and Hermione explaining everything (except their trip to Sherlock) and everything calming down and every</span>
  <em>
    <span>one</span>
  </em>
  <span> healing.  Thicknesse was fired from the position of Minister and Kingsley Shacklebolt took his place.  In the end, everything was sorted out by the end of the school year.  Nobody had actually been focusing on</span>
  <em>
    <span> school</span>
  </em>
  <span>, though, not when a war had just finished and everything needed to be sorted out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Boys will be boys, and Harry and Draco will always be ‘rivals’.  The two brawled each other, Harry coming out as the winner, and nobody ever found out the significance of Harry winning against Draco.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry never figured out what ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>I open at the close</span>
  </em>
  <span>’ meant, but he no longer needed to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nobody except for Dumbledore ever connected the dots linking the Potters’ Invisibility Cloak and the third Peverell brother’s gift.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>My sister and I just recently watched A Very Potter Musical by Team StarKid on YouTube all the way through.  Highly recommend.  Wish that the musical was all I knew of the Harry Potter series.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>